It really was an incredible journey.
After more than 10 days covering 100 kilometres of outsmarting traps, breaking leashes and 91Ƶillegally91Ƶ crossing the U.S. border into Canada, Barley91Ƶs one-dog adventure came to a close in Penticton.
The Pyrenean mountain dog cross was finally convinced to take a rest on May 28 in the West Bench area, after a collaborative effort to track him down. Barley had escaped from his foster home in Tonasket, Washington, about 10 days earlier before he managed to make his way across the border.
Jacenda Byer, who runs Petra91Ƶs Pawdicures, has spent 20 years in animal rescue and was one of the local leaders in the effort to draw Barley in.
91ƵLike everyone else, I had seen his story (on social media) and the posts when he crossed into Osoyoos and was following it,91Ƶ said Byer. 91ƵMy friend Darren has a drone and was willing to put in some effort. We noticed that he (Barley) was staying around West Bench, so I drove from Kelowna and said, 91ƵLet91Ƶs do this, let91Ƶs try to get him91Ƶ.91Ƶ
Tracking Barley based on sightings shared to social media, Byer91Ƶs friend Darren Sweet spent hours setting up and using his drone for a bird91Ƶs eye view of the West Bench area.
In the end, it wasn91Ƶt the drone that spotted Barley, but a local couple who had managed to get the dog to stay in one place with a bit of food.
91ƵI went to ask if they had seen this lost dog and can I launch my drone from here, and they said 91ƵOh, he91Ƶs around the corner91Ƶ,91Ƶ said Sweet.
However, finding Barley was only another part of the challenge. The dog was frightened and despite having been on the run for days, he still had plenty of energy in him.
Byer and her dog, Petra, spent the next several hours making Barley more comfortable with her presence until she could approach him.
91ƵBarley would not let me close enough to grab his collar. There wasn91Ƶt a lot of space that he wanted to have humans in,91Ƶ said Byer. 91ƵWe used my dog, she91Ƶs very well trained, and just had her go on the outside of me, away from Barley, back and forth between us and he started to relax.91Ƶ
Eventually, Byer was able to snap on a lead to Barley91Ƶs collar. From there, she continued to calm him down, pulling ticks and burrs from his fur. Despite all this effort, the pup was able to give Byer the slip and run off again. But, the good boy came back.
91ƵHe really is a remarkably freedom-wanting boy,91Ƶ said Byer.
If it weren91Ƶt for a family in West Bench that was able to convince Barley to eat, Byer was certain he would have been much harder to catch.
91ƵWithout Cheryl91Ƶs family helping him feel safe in their yard, he wouldn91Ƶt have stopped, he would have kept going,91Ƶ said Byer.
Byer said that she was blown away by how gentle Barley was, even when she was removing the ticks and burrs from around his lips near his teeth, he was calm.
91ƵHe honestly gave me such relief in my heart when he just laid down for me, it was just like saying thank you,91Ƶ said Byer.
Transporting the large working dog would be another task for Byer, who would turn to the Penticton Animal Control team for help.
91ƵThere was no way with his lack of training and lack of socialization that I was gonna get him in a car, so I called Elizabeth (with animal control) and she didn91Ƶt hesitate,91Ƶ said Byer. 91ƵElizabeth called in her employee, who was on her day off grocery shopping, and she stopped and came up and helped and between us all, after three hours, we had him in the back of the truck with the tailgate closed on his way home.91Ƶ
Barley is now on his way back home where he will have a large acreage to run on and several other dogs as companions, something that Byer is confident he can be happy with.
91ƵOnce he learns how to trust and that person is his person, he91Ƶs going to have exactly what he needs.91Ƶ